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Unexpected Demands (Hidden Wolves #2)

by Kaje Harper (Goodreads Author)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 335 ratings · 59 reviews

Becoming Alpha made Aaron responsible for protecting his new pack against outside threats, but fighting his own desires might pose an even bigger challenge.

When Aaron took down a crazy dominant wolf and inherited half a pack, he knew the Alpha job wasn't going to be easy. A week later, he's finding out what an understatement that was. Having a gay wolf in his pack brings l...more

ebook, 305 pages

Published March 23rd 2012 by MLR Press

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Mar 24, 2012 Vio rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: recommended, shifter, slow-paced, not-as-good-as-the-first

3.5 Stars
Great writing but also a surprise and a tad disappointing. I guess my expectations were too high. What happened to Aaron? The alpha was too tame, where did all that aggression and raw sex appeal go? His powerful presence was missing, which made him so special in Unacceptable Risk. All the pack politics were a distraction and went on for far too long. The rescue was much more to my liking and the pace picked up from then onwards. I was drawn back into the story during the second half of...more

13 likes · like · see review

Mar 23, 2012 Ami rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm-shifters, mm-fantasy-paranormal-futuristic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 3.75 stars rounded up
Aaron came to me in Unacceptable Risk as this slightly mysterious with a dark edge wolf (I almost thought of him similar with Hawke, from Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling series at one point).

So when I open the preface of this book, and stumble into 1st person perspective, I admit it throws me off a bit. Kaje Harper rarely writes in 1st person (in fact, I can only remember one short story of hers using 1st person) -- and this style is not easy to tackle. Somehow, in those firs...more

7 likes · like · see review

Mar 23, 2012 Simsala*is getting slow* added it

Shelves: m-m, paranormal, series, werewolves

AARON!!!! *faints*

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 19, 2012 L-D rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, shifters-weres, age-difference, pnr, series

3.5 stars.

I have mixed opinions about this book. While I enjoyed this story's plot even more than the last story, I felt the romance in book #1 was sweeter.

Simon and Paul's romance in book one was really a great connection. I couldn't find that at all in this book. In fact, it took a few chapters before I was even sure who Aaron's love interest was going to be. Based on the description, I knew it was a younger wolf, but I thought at first it was going to be Andy since he popped up in the first c...more 3.5 stars.

I have mixed opinions about this book. While I enjoyed this story's plot even more than the last story, I felt the romance in book #1 was sweeter.

Simon and Paul's romance in book one was really a great connection. I couldn't find that at all in this book. In fact, it took a few chapters before I was even sure who Aaron's love interest was going to be. Based on the description, I knew it was a younger wolf, but I thought at first it was going to be Andy since he popped up in the first chapter quite a bit. Once I realized that Zach was Aaron's choice, I still found it hard to connect. Why I didn't think Aaron and Zach's relationship worked:
1. The age-gap: there was a big age difference (20 years) between Aaron and Zach. I've seen authors make this work before, but in this case, Aaron kept calling Zach kid, and treating him purposely like a little brother, snapping towels at him etc. I realize that Aaron was trying to distance himself from his young charge, but it started distancing me from Zach as well. I didn't see him as a love interest. Just as a kid. And Aaron kept saying how he smelled like clean boy. The whole "boy" lost it for me.
2. Aaron was Zach's Alpha. Again, I've seen this work in shifter books in the past, but it's because the other stories don't overthink it too much. In this book, Aaron is constantly thinking about how bad it is to be in a relationship to one of his pack members because he can make his lovers do anything with his Jedi Alpha mind freak. Zach keeps saying he trusts Aaron not to do that, but then Aaron uses his "alpha" voice on Zach often to keep him in place. I don't think I enjoyed it. It did feel like there was too much of a mismatch in their levels. Maybe this would have worked if Aaron and Zach were into BDSM and Zach was fully submissive? I think it would have worked best though, if Zach wasn't a wolf - like Paul.
3. Aaron's first person voice. I think because this book was in Aaron's first person, I didn't enjoy it as much because that's the main reason I distanced myself from Zach hearing Aaron refer to him as a kid and not wanting to get close. Additionally, I didn't like how much Aaron didn't act like an alpha in his own head. He was more insecure than I liked and lost some of the tough, sexy, Alpha-dominance we saw in him from book 1. There were glimpses of a true alpha, but not as much as I would have liked to see. He took a back seat to the other local alpha a bit too much.

Likes: The plot of this book was much more substantial than any plot I've encountered in other M/M shifter books. Typically an M/M shifter book focuses on the inst-love of the "fated mates" and the book doesn't have enough substance to eke out more than a novella length book. Not the case here. I really enjoyed the plot. I liked all the secondary characters that were introduced from the other packs such as Rick Brown, the alpha from Chicago, and the Alpha that helps Aaron with a tactical rescue mission. Now THOSE were Alphas with their kickass Special Forces pack members. (less)

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Mar 24, 2012 Td rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: age-gap-10-plus, shifters, in-the-closet

2.5-3 Stars
A very well written story, as always, from Ms. Harper. Unfortunately, while I liked it overall, this one didn't work as well as the others have for me. I didn't feel a connection with Aaron as the first person narrator. I didn't feel a connection with Zach either, I needed to be in his head. The glimpses of emotion that I got for Zach through Aaron and the Alpha bond weren't enough even while I was grumbling when the bond would come up. For me this meant that I wasn't completely inves...more

14 likes · like · see review

Apr 25, 2012 Arthur rated it 3 of 5 stars

2.5 stars

The romance is 2 stars (overpowered by the action, not much connection between them)
The story line is 2 stars (want to be grand but not quite there)
The writing is 3.5 stars (it's Kaje, so it flows nicely. Still, sometimes I felt unnecessarily too long like the whole diary)
Logical coherence is 2 stars (passing a territory needs permission from local Alpha, but a killing team that consist of two foreign packs doesn't)

It's like having 3 separate stories that are weakly connected to each o...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Aurora rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: supernatural

Unexpected Demands is the second book in the Hidden Wolves series and the attention turns to Aaron who is a somewhat reluctant alpha now that the wolf pack has been split in two after the events of the previous book. While there is no doubt Aaron is a strong and competent leader, I liked how he was plagued with doubts about leading his pack of misfits and didn’t know all the answers. Aaron’s decision to welcome Paul and Simon into his tribe is causing a lot of tension between the packs and the d...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Fritz42 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites-m-m-romance, m-m-romance, nook-lendable

This was a great follow-up to Unacceptable Risk, centering on Aaron, the Alpha for the new West Pack. Written in first person, Aaron reveals that he is a complicated but caring Alpha, realizing the need for change for werewolves everywhere. I couldn't help but connect with him. We were also blessed with a fair amount of page time for Simon and Paul, the MC's in Unacceptable Risk, letting us know how they are faring with their relationship. The added bonus was Zach, a young and troubled man, who...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Issa rated it 4 of 5 stars

After seeing some of the reviews I set myself up to be disappointed. But at the end of the day I can't figure out why people didn't like it as much as I did : D. I loved it, I think even more then the first one. This is Aaron's book and having it first person Aaron was perfect. He has so much going on that it would have dragged the story down to see what was in Zach's head. Zach is a bottom of the pack submissive so different from Aaron and while I think he's important, this story needed to be t...more

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Oct 12, 2012 DaisyGirl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, genre-romance, i-own, romance-pnr, other-steamy

3.5 Stars

I really liked this book with one exception, which I will get to in a bit. First, I loved Aaron and Zach. The first person narrative took some getting used to and was a little clunky in the beginning but it worked for the most part. I thought the writing style would hinder my affinity for Zach since I wasn't privy to his POV but honestly it didn't detract from the overall romance or my enjoyment of the book.

Simon and Paul to my delight and dismay made a reappearance here. Although I lo...more 3.5 Stars

I really liked this book with one exception, which I will get to in a bit. First, I loved Aaron and Zach. The first person narrative took some getting used to and was a little clunky in the beginning but it worked for the most part. I thought the writing style would hinder my affinity for Zach since I wasn't privy to his POV but honestly it didn't detract from the overall romance or my enjoyment of the book.

Simon and Paul to my delight and dismay made a reappearance here. Although I love Simon, I am not a fan of Paul and his diva-ness continued to grate on me. I was happy, however, that 80% of the way through Paul FINALLY told Simon he loved him and actually managed to do something selfless. Hooray! Jeez he's a selfish bastard but I digress ...

This book was 4.5 stars all the way until 94%. Why? Because Kaje Harper - bless her soul, I am truly a HUGE fan of hers - robbed me of my HEA and gave me what can only be described as an HFN by an active stretch of the imagination. WTF!?! (view spoiler) And did I mention that all that sh*t is spewed like 10 pages before the end!?! Needless to say, I was like W.T.F. Okay, I concede that Aaron's concerns regarding his ability to offer Zach a long term relationship are reasonable but ... come on! Really??? Couldn't we have reached a more comfortable plateau than 'I'm grateful for the stolen moments we have now' before the conclusion of the book? In the interim (I can only assume this is an "interim" because I reject the possibility that this is the end of the series as a totally unacceptable outcome), I will chalk this up to an unfortunate cliff hanger and leave it at that. I anxiously await resolution in the next installment. *wink* *wink* Come on Kaje, you can't leave me hangin'!!!(less)

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Apr 20, 2012 SueM rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: in-the-closet, m-m, injury-illness, ipad-kindle, shapeshifters-werewolves, political, addiction

4.5 stars
Well, I really had been looking forward to this one, as I loved Kaje's take on the werewolf world in Unnecessary Risks, and while I loved it, the story line wasn't quite what I expected. I think the biggest surprise was the ending... No, not a cliffhanger nor was it bittersweet, but it still didn't go where I thought (hoped) it would. That said, it was absolutely in keeping with the characters involved and it is for that reason it still rates 4-4.5 stars.

Aaron, the unexpected alpha of a...more

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May 18, 2013 Sandra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, paranormal-romance, shifter-stuff

3.5 stars This is a good shifter series because it has the right combo of sexy mated goodness, pack politics, outside influence and both romantic and non-romantic story-lines. The West Pack is still dealing with some repercussions having to do with Simon and Paul's mating (which is good, because everyone who read Unacceptable Risk wanted to know what happened to them!), but this books focuses on those problems in relation to Aaron, since he is the Alpha who accepted them and now has to deal with...more

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Jun 12, 2012 LdDurham rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-romance, shifter

All the things I loved in the first book were nearly completely left out in this one.

When we left the first book, I saw Aaron as strong, careful, and smart. Even a bit arrogant, which he seemed to be capable of backing up if need be. In this book, he's weak and takes on a martyr's tone. The image I had of him in the first book was shattered completely and I didn't particularly like him here. He had lost his edge, his mystique, and coolness. He didn't seem like a very good Alpha. He was constant...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Yael3 rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was hesitant about getting this book, since it seemed (reading other reviews) that a fair number of people were disappointed by it after the first one. But I liked the story, so I figured I'd go for it anyway. I thought it was great! In fact, I liked it even better than the first one. It was interesting getting inside Aaron's head and I didn't think that having him demonstrate his insecurities in any way made me think less of his character, as others have suggested.

I have to confess that freq...more

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Apr 04, 2012 ♥Laddie♥ marked it as i-ll-finish-i-swear

Shelves: bad-boy-hero, bloodthirsty-bitches-club, mm, mm-big-bad-wolf, mm-paranormal

HELL YEAH!!! I was waiting for this dude's story! When in March does it come out? Is it out now?

1 like · like · see review

May 27, 2013 Heller rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, m-m, shifters

3.5

I really love the werewolf politics here. Sadly though the romance takes a bit of a back burner as the intrigue is ramped up. I was glad to see more of Simon and Paul from the first book and while I enjoyed the development of Zach and Aaron they didn't really hold my attention as much. I think mostly because Zach was a bit of mystery and seemed more conveniently gay all of the sudden. There was no indication that he was so a hint from the first book would have worked better for me.

Still I di...more

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May 28, 2013 Macky rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone who wants an ACTUAL story alongside their werewolves!

Shelves: closeted-character, drama, emotionally-satisfying, favourite-aothors, keeper, paranormal-m-m, reviewed-for-sid-love-blog, series, werewolves

” When you’re Alpha of a werewolf pack, even as small and non-traditional as mine, you have to BE Alpha. No doubts, no worries, at least where the lower-ranked wolves can see you. I’d been faking that all week, ever since pack leadership had fallen into my hands.

Since I’d ripped it from Karl’s bleeding body.

A rap on the door startled me, then the door was flung open before I could respond. Vincent looked in. His normal air of detached amusement was replaced with a frown. “Aaron, there’s trouble...more ” When you’re Alpha of a werewolf pack, even as small and non-traditional as mine, you have to BE Alpha. No doubts, no worries, at least where the lower-ranked wolves can see you. I’d been faking that all week, ever since pack leadership had fallen into my hands.

Since I’d ripped it from Karl’s bleeding body.

A rap on the door startled me, then the door was flung open before I could respond. Vincent looked in. His normal air of detached amusement was replaced with a frown. “Aaron, there’s trouble at Simons……..”

So starts Aaron’s story in the second delicious book of Kaje Harpers most excellent Werewolf series… Hidden Wolves. At the end of book one, Simon and Paul’s story, Aaron is left a reluctant Alpha to a splinter group from the original pack after defeating the evil second Karl. Simon and Paul are making waves amongst the other, larger established packs because of their gay bond mating and as well as trying to keep them safe – because the other packs are chomping at the bit to have Paul and Simon exterminated because no one believes its a true bond - Aaron is himself trying to keep the fact that he’s also gay from everyone around him, but finding it very hard as he has to take a young troubled Zach under his wing and temptation is staring him in the face and groin! To make it worse it becomes clear that Zach reciprocates his feelings so whats a man ( and his inner wolf ) to do?

Wow! The pack politics and hierarchy in Kaje’s books are so convincing that like I said in my review of ‘ Unacceptable Risk ‘, you could really believe that they exist and are living amongst us. These shifters are staunchly homophobic and fiercely protective of keeping that existence secret from the human world. They’ll go to extreme lengths to keep from being outed to the human race but only as a last resort. They’re not rampant killers or monsters and this is part of what Paul can’t fully come to terms with. His humanity is still at odds with some of the things he’s witnessed but his love for Simon is foremost so his loyalties are now with the pack he’s become part of. For them the choices they sometimes have to make are purely for the survival of their race, so when Simon is kidnapped halfway through the story and no one knows by why, Aaron and his small but loyal pack have a race against time to find him. Is it some other Wolves or something far more sinister?!

What a roller coaster this book was. Full of intrigue, suspense and so strongly plotted that once again I was glued to every page. Aaron’s character is perfectly spun. He’s up against a lot of resistance from the start but he stands his ground and protects his pack with strength and dignity, even though he’s not sure that being Alpha is what he would have really chosen had it not been necessary to kill Karl. It was great to see more of Simon and Paul and all the other secondary characters who’s roles in the story are strong and totally supportive of the story line.........Please read rest of review at http://sidlove.wordpress.com/2013/05/...(less)

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Apr 29, 2012 Jerry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: coming-out, may-december, paranormal, gay-family, werewolf, shifters, violence

Aaron and Zach, an almost love story, mixed with near death experiences between both of them. I say almost becuase Aaron doubts that a young pup can fall for an old guy like him--he thinks Zach needs to sow some oats and Zach thinks hes found his perfect partner, if only they can be honest with each other. Plus more of Paul and Simon's story and how they prove their bond. A roller coaster ride with inter pack politics, a huge threat to all packs and dealing with gay werewolves. Kaje has woven an...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Madonna196 rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Nobody

Love Ms. Harper's work, loved the first novel in this universe, but this one was disappointing. I think what I liked best about the first novel was the dynamic between the two characters, one otherworldly and the other human. In Unexpected Demands it's all werewolf all the time, the characters just aren't interesting (except for the recurring characters of Simon and Paul), the Alpha thing was tiring... there wasn't much of a storyline, sex fillers, and the dialogue was stilted and, honestly, sim...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Lauraadriana marked it as to-read

Shelves: buy-asap

Hey this cover isn't half bad! New Year's Resolution for MLR perhaps?

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Apr 30, 2013 Simon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved this book, more so than Book 1. The one niggle and aspect I was not so struck on was the massive age difference between Alpha Aaron and his lover Zack, but then older werewolves look much younger than they really are (supposedly).
Great plot in this one, more thriller, the characters just happen to be werewolves.
Kidnapping, mad scientists, werewolves, gay werewolves, high speed chases....yes I loved it, and Simon and Paul from Book 1 are also back and play an important part in the plot of B...more

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May 03, 2013 Sunne rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can't believe I never wrote a review to this book. I just noticed it now because I downloaded the free (and long and perfect) sequel from smashwords a few days ago.

Kaje Harper is one of my top 5 authors and she never dissapoints. This book is a perfect mix of thrill, suspense, familar and new approach on the whole werewolves theme.

Aaron never wanted to be Alpha. Oh, he has the abilities, the strength and everything it needs but he'd been a lone wolf for a while and becoming Alpha of a new pack...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Alaska rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: challenge-reads, shelf-a-thon-reads, addictions, bingo-reads-round-5, m-m-modern-world, someone-gets-shot-or-stabbed, werewolves

I liked that the author continues with the conflict of the previous book. Just because Simon found a pack which accepts him doesn't mean that werewolves in general accept gay wolves and that he won't have problems. You got to know more about Aaron and Zach but Simeon and Paul still played a major role. (view spoiler) The conflict is not solved but you can be sure that Aaron made a point with the other wo...more

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Apr 01, 2013 ttg rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, reviews

Very solid and enjoyable follow-up to #1 in the Hidden Wolves series Unacceptable Risk. Whereas the first book focused on werewolf Simon and human Paul, this one focuses on alpha Aaron, who is struggling on running his new pack, protecting Simon and Paul from those who think gay wolves should be eradicated, and dealing with the fact that his developing feelings for a young pack member is making it even harder to keep himself in the closet.

Even though the focus of the story is on Aaron and the de...more Very solid and enjoyable follow-up to #1 in the Hidden Wolves series Unacceptable Risk. Whereas the first book focused on werewolf Simon and human Paul, this one focuses on alpha Aaron, who is struggling on running his new pack, protecting Simon and Paul from those who think gay wolves should be eradicated, and dealing with the fact that his developing feelings for a young pack member is making it even harder to keep himself in the closet.

Even though the focus of the story is on Aaron and the developing relationship with Zach, this is not a standalone book, and if you want to check out the series, you should hit book 1 first. There’s a lot of stuff that happened in book 1, including explaining the packs, their politics, mate bonds, etc, so if you slide into book 2 without that knowledge, you’ll be way more confused. There are also a lot of side characters, and you’ll get introduced to them in book 1, whereas in book 2, there’s not a lot of introduction for them.

For those who enjoyed book 1, especially Simon and Paul’s relationship, you’ll be happy to know that they are major supporting characters in this one, so even though you’re not in their heads, they still have a lot of time on page, and there’s even some relationship progression (but viewed from Aaron’s POV.) His alpha view, and his ability to feel his pack through his alpha bond was a nice way to gain access to characters feelings, even though their POV wasn’t the focus.

Besides being Aaron’s book, the other big difference is that this one is told from Aaron’s first person POV only. (Book 1 balanced both Simon and Paul’s third person POV.) This was kind of a big change, but I think it worked overall since with Aaron’s POV, you get both the restrictions of only his viewpoint, but also his access to the alpha bond and pack members’ feelings allow him (and the reader) a better understanding of what’s going on with other characters.

Overall, the story was a lot of fun and the second half was very action-oriented as Aaron, his pack, and a neighboring pack join forces to bring down a threat. The only downside is that there were a lot of side characters that pop up, and I didn’t always feel very connected to them (so if something bad happened, it didn’t have as much weight), but all-in-all, it was still a fun read, and I didn’t want to put it down.

I dug Aaron’s and Zach’s developing relationship, and the way they bounced off each other. They had sexy-sweet chemistry, and it was nice to watch Aaron’s slow fall into something that he didn’t think was good for the pack, but in the end, was what he really wanted.

For nervous readers, the ending is a very solid HFN. As alpha, I don’t think Aaron can take anything for granted or assume everything will work out perfectly, especially with so much uncertainty about the pack’s safety going forward, but he’s very much enjoying what he has right now.

Overall, I think book 1 is still my favorite, but this was a good follow-up, and I’m still very much on the Hidden Wolves train if/when future books come out. I think Harper really excels at creating engaging characters and relationships that you want to read about, so I look forward to where things go from here.

My one caveat is that it’s been almost a year since I read book 1 and I forgot a lot of stuff. I think it might be better to read them closer together, or else, do as I did and go in with a “go with the flow” approach. There is not a lot re-explained from book 1 (which is fine by me--fewer exposition dumps keeps the pace tighter) but it means some things might be more confusing if you’re not coming off fresh from book 1.

In the end though--fun read; hopeful for more. (And as a Simon and Paul fan, I was definitely happy with their moments. I wouldn’t mind more of them and Aaron and Zach in future books.)(less)

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Apr 12, 2012 Sammy2006 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Death and blood have followed Aaron Tremaine most of his adult life. Beginning with the violent death of his first lover, at the hands of his own father, to the rather cold-blooded yet needful death of an enemy, the life of the Alpha Wolf has been bathed in regret and bloodshed.

Unexpected Demands by Kaje Harper is a non-stop, action-packed romantic thriller from page one on to the end. This book was, hands-down, a thrilling and most satisfying read! Picking up where the first book in this serie...more Death and blood have followed Aaron Tremaine most of his adult life. Beginning with the violent death of his first lover, at the hands of his own father, to the rather cold-blooded yet needful death of an enemy, the life of the Alpha Wolf has been bathed in regret and bloodshed.

Unexpected Demands by Kaje Harper is a non-stop, action-packed romantic thriller from page one on to the end. This book was, hands-down, a thrilling and most satisfying read! Picking up where the first book in this series, Unacceptable Risk, ended, the story now swings its focus to the pack leader rather than the mated pair of wolf and human, Simon and Paul. While these two men still play a significant role in the second novel, it is Aaron’s story that is laid out for us in rich detail.

A mysterious presence, Aaron, is now pack leader of a band of misfit wolves that have broken off from a larger pack after Aaron himself challenged and killed the leader. They are a unique group due to the fact that two of them are gay and mated. If the “gay” aspect is not enough to warrant the mistrust and anger of other packs, the fact that somehow a human (Paul) has mated with a wolf (Simon) is enough to push even the most affable wolves over the edge. Aaron, however, sees nothing wrong with any of this. Of course, his being gay may have something to do with his acceptance.

However, Aaron is deeply in the closet. He understands that coming out in the current climate—an atmosphere of distrust and hatred for anything but traditional mating—would be disastrous. For years he has kept his desires under lock and key until he is thrust into the position of babysitter over one of the young men in his pack—Zach. Zach, who bears the mental scars of abuse at the hands of his grandfather, is an alcoholic as well. It is during his detox and recovery that Aaron begins to fall in love with this young man who is half his age.

While all this sexual tension is bubbling beneath the surface, we are aware of a twofold dilemma within the small pack and the larger wolf population. First, there is still a real threat to the safety, indeed the life of both Paul and Simon, with Simon bearing the brunt of other wolves’ homophobic hatred. On top of that, there is a real threat of exposure for the wolf nation as a whole. Someone wants their DNA and will torture, maim, and even kill to get it.

After Aaron asks all the packs to send witnesses in an attempt to convince them to accept Simon and Paul’s mating, we are privy to the extraordinary abilities of tracking and the emotional connection that their mating bond gives to Paul and Simon. To say that this demo ends well is to say that sitting a can of gas next to a fire pit is safe—as long as no one strikes a match. While not getting the desired effect he was hoping for, Aaron must concede that it will take more than a few demonstrations of Paul and Simon’s incredible bond to change the homophobic beliefs of most of the other packs.

Right on the heels of the demo, Simon is kidnapped and what ensues is perhaps the most suspenseful and gut-churning search and rescue scene I have ever read. It had me literally on the edge of my seat page after taut, action-packed page! And lest you thought you could relax at the end of this emotionally battering section of the book, the clean up and take down of the mastermind behind Simon’s kidnap is both fascinating and, simply stated, terribly sad…a true loss of innocence for Zach and a nightmare-inducing memory for Aaron.

But the final pages…the final moments in this novel…when Aaron considers that he must be content with a happy for now ending to this chapter in his life…where Aaron once again grapples with the fact that he cannot yet reveal his sexuality and, thereby, must condemn his lover, Zach, to a furtive and hidden relationship at best…this was both hopeful and oh so heartbreaking!

Unexpected Demands elevates the paranormal romance/mystery genre to a whole new level of excellence. Gone is the sometimes cheesy, over the top reactionary wolves that seem little more than fantastical at best. In their place, Kaje Harper gives us living, breathing men…who just happen to be wolves. I cannot say enough about this novel. Form it’s remarkable in-depth and fascinating characters, to its first rate, edge of your seat, mystery elements this novel starts with a bang and rockets you along until it slams you home with the force of tornado! Toss in some of the hottest man on man sex and tender romantic moments ever written and you have a top-notch novel that will not fail to excite, inspire, and delight!

I highly recommend Unexpected Demands to you! It IS a 5 star read!

(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Brainorgan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: forbidden-love, lycanthropy, m-m

I couldn't put it down. I can't talk about it without revealing what I shouldn't, so the rest is under cover.
(view spoiler)...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Cris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, romance, paranormal, favorite-author

I love the world that Kaje Harper has built around these shifter wolves. It's real and normal and scary. The wolves have day jobs and they aren't independently wealthy and they aren't immortal or impervious to pain and injury. They are also not susceptible to silver or full moons or wolfsbane. They are just different and trying their best to live safe, happy lives.

This book takes place about a week after the end of Unacceptable Risk. Simon and Paul are still in danger from their old pack as well...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Edina Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

This is a good book. The second instalment in KH's modern werewolf series.

Once again, I liked the fact that the setting is very much the 21st century and that technology and especially Internet & New Media takes a big place in the plot, just like in real life.

The mystery is good, the pack politics is good, and the romance is not bad.

The mystery includes lots of internet tracking and hacking, (yum!) lots of breaking and entering, fighting, shooting, bombing. It's colourful.

In boo...more

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Oct 20, 2012 Plainbrownwrapper rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm

I agree with the criticisms from many of the other reviews, but the intelligent writing saved it for me for the most part. Unlike some of the other reviewers I did enjoy Aaron's character (although I can also see their argument that he could have been stronger/more confident); also, I liked that the Paul/Simon story line continued and that it was an integral part of this installment in the series (rather than being entirely episodic as so many romance series are). OTOH I had to roll my eyes at 2...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Gabrielle Morgan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I hesitated between three and four stars on this one. I enjoyed it, and I really enjoyed the way the author handled some very heavy issues. But in the end, I just didn't connect as well to the characters as I did with the first book. Maybe I was just thrown by the unexpected first person perspective? In any case, it was still a very enjoyable read, and if any more books come out for this series in the future, they'll be going immediately onto my reading list for sure. :)

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About Kaje Harper

I live in Minnesota (where the two seasons are snow removal and road-repair, and the mosquito is the state bird, and where sometimes in winter it is so beautiful you can't breathe for gazing at it). I have been writing for longer than I care to admit, and currently am focused on writing m/m romance. I have an interview from Sept 2012 on Reviews by Jessewave for those who are interested.

My first p...more

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